Meet The New Look 2020 Dolphins Part 1: The Offense

It’s not often a team with an 11-5 record completely overturns their roster in the offseason. But the 2019 Miami Dolphins were not your ordinary #2 seed in the AFC conference. Coach Bobby Bones took a roster built to tank to the top of the AFC East, proving a system built around fundamental defense and a quick passing offense can overcome lack of talent. In 2020, the Dolphins are betting on Coach Bones’s system getting better with new talent over roster continuity. Let’s meet the new look 2020 Dolphins after their splashy off-season that seemed straight out of a “Madden” video game, starting with the offense:

HB: Nelson Agholor/Jordan Howard – The HB crop has been completely overturned. Kenyon Drake left in free agency to the Bucs, and Kalen Ballage shockingly joined him on the Bucs after the Dolphins shipped him away in a draft pick swap.

Nelson Agholor has switched from WR to HB this season, and is currently the HB1. Despite high expectation for Agholor, we expect Jordan Howard and even 6th round pick Rakeem Boyd to split HB touches with Nelson.

WR1: Collin Johnson – Devante Parker, on an expiring deal, was shipped to the division-rival Patriots in a curious move by the Dolphins to secure the Patriots’s 18th overall pick in the draft. Taking Parker’s spot is the 27th pick of the draft, the 6’6 receiver out of Texas. Johnson figures to play Parker’s role last season, as a big body deep threat outside. Johnson is a raw talent, we’ll see if he can develop into a good route runner against NFL talent.

WR2: CeeDee Lamb – Johnson was not the only WR drafted by the Dolphins. A first round talent, Lamb slide to the 46th pick of the draft to Miami. Lamb’s elusive traits figure to fit well in the Phins’s quick pass scheme, and he may even see many possessions in the slot over…

WR3: Jakeem Grant – Last season’s offensive MVP, Jakeem Grant is still a big part of Miami’s future, as he still has 4 years left on his team friendly contract. This season may see Grant lose targets to his rookie teammates, but the Dolphins will continue to use him in unorthodox ways to take advantage of his speed.

Mohamed Sanu and Breshaud Perriman bring up the rear end of the WR depth chart as insurance policies. Sanu’s role on the team is expected to be mentor and potential wilcat quarterback.

TE: Mike Gesicki – Gesicki remains the only viable TE on the roster, with undrafted rookie Charlie Taumoepeau the only man even threatening him. Gesicki’s role is expected to be slightly minimized this season, but Rosen and Gesicky’s on field chemistry will continue to get the 3rd year man targets on any given down.

If there’s any mainstay about the Dolphins from 2019 to 2020, it’s that the offensive line will still be their biggest weakness. Despite at least 4 new starters on the line, pass protection may still haunt Josh Rosen in his nightmares. Nonetheless, there are big upgrades at the LG and RT position, and hopefully better pass protection throughout. Questions still remain why the Dolphins did not use any of their 49 draft picks on the offensive line.

The Dolphins offense was a bottom 3rd unit of the league last season. The expectations are for the offensive to start matching the intensity of the defense in 2020, but time will tell if Josh Rosen can use these new tools to help the Dolphins add to their woeful 2019 first downs counter this season.